Read Online Living Lies by Dawn Brown - Free Book Online Page B

selfish—”
    “I can give you some examples of selfish.”
    “A detective Faron will be contacting you.”
    “Why?” Surprise softened her voice.
    “He has some questions.” Garret took a deep breath. “Have you heard any talk about Dad?”
    Haley thought of Mrs. Yolken’s hungry gaze. “Just some ugly gossip.”
    “Me too.”
    “Is Dad a suspect?”
    “I don’t know, but I’m worried. You’ll let me know what the detective says?”
    Haley nodded and waited for him to get up to leave. When he didn’t, they sat in a moment of awkward silence.
    “Are you going to open that envelope?” Garret asked at last.
    “Why are you so interested?”
    “I’m concerned. I understand you were talking to Dean Lawson today.”
    She narrowed her gaze. “Who told you? Erin or Paige?”
    “Does it matter? What were you thinking?”
    “I didn’t even know who he was.” If Garret was this annoyed about a few words exchanged in a parking lot, she could only imagine his reaction if he knew she’d been inside Dean’s hotel room.
    “What the hell is he doing back anyway?”
    Haley shrugged. She should know by tomorrow, but thought better than to tell him.
    “When I think of what he did…” Garret’s eyes darkened. “He would have gone to jail if Dad hadn’t given him a chance. And Lawson thanks him by murdering Michelle.”
    She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. It hadn’t been her father who had saved Dean from jail, or a juvenile detention center, or wherever troubled sixteen-year-old boys went after totaling stolen delivery vans. It had been her stupid adolescent crush. If she had just kept her mouth shut, Dean would have been sent away. He and Michelle would never have dated. And Michelle would still be alive.
    “What did he say to you?”
    “Nothing really. I thought he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. I asked him if he knew Michelle and he said he did. That pretty much sums up the conversation.”
    “Humor me, open the card.”
    “For God’s sake,” she muttered and set the newspaper on the floor. The envelope hadn’t been sealed, so she only needed to lift the flap and slide the card out.
    On the front was a glossy black and white photo of two little girls dressed in grown-up clothes.
    “Who is it from?” Garret asked.
    Haley opened the card. “I don’t know.” She turned it so he could see. “It’s blank.”
    “That’s strange.”
    “It’s probably some kind of condolence card.”
    “Who doesn’t sign a card?”
    She shrugged. “Someone in a hurry?”
    “The whole thing is off.” He stood and crossed the room. “I wish you would stay with Mom and Paige.” When she started to protest, he interrupted. “Just until Lawson is gone. I don’t like you here alone.”
    “I’ll be fine. Paige isn’t leaving tomorrow?”
    “No. Faron asked her to stay on. He wants to speak to her too.”
    “Maybe Dad’s not the only suspect.”
    “Anything’s possible,” Garret said as she walked him to the door. “Keep your doors and windows locked.”
    She snorted. “I’ll see about getting some bars for them tomorrow.”
    “This isn’t a joke, Haley,” he snapped.
    She gentled her voice. He’d lost a sister too, and she wanted very much to believe that his concern was more than the fear of losing his mother’s primary care taker. “I can look after myself. Besides, I doubt Dean’s going to come skulking through my windows in the middle of the night.”
    “I hope you’re right. Call me when you hear from the police.”
    She nodded and said good-bye as she closed the door behind him.
    With a frown, she looked down at the card still in her hand. It was a strange condolence card. Where was the typical lily or the “Our Deepest Sorrows”?
    Just throw the damn thing out and forget it.
    Haley went to the kitchen to do just that, but hesitated over the garbage. With her fingertip she traced the outline of one of the little girls.
    The sudden ding-dong of the doorbell made